Overview

After almost two months of nothing, the lord summons you up and sends you to his castle in Q'Barra. A walk in the peaceful farmland end in a bloody battle with warmongering bandits.

Off to the Wild East

"I bought Vraath Keep last year. It was such a bargain that I couldn't resist. Who would not like to have a personal castle in fertile farmlands?" With that Drevan ir'Roole sends you to Q'Barra, and instructs you to meet his man Catillus Matthew. "You will have no trouble finding Mr. Matthew. He is a handsome half-orc with beautiful line-up of silver teeth. He went to the castle six months ago."

"Well what are you waiting for? Or do you have some questions?"

The heroes made a few careful inquiries about the mission. Like what are we supposed to do there.

Drevan took a quick look on Kemaal before he lowered his voice and continued.

"You remember my loved wife, Nora? Of course you do, that's when we met. When she betrayed me and stole those maps. I had acquired a number of documents with a lot of trouble and money. They contain some very interesting notes about the locations of dragonshards in Elsir Vale. Elsir Vale is the countryside around Vraath Keep, west from Brindol. Can you imagine that! I happen to be a castle-owner and now it happens that I'm going to find dragonshards all over the place. What a strike of luck!"

"But we don't know where Nora went or even what was she planning to do with the maps. So we figured out it is best to send trustful and capable people to the place itself, to monitor the area for any dragonshard hunters. If anyone shows up, looking for dragonshards, your job is to arrest them immediately and send a message to me. If they have my house sigil, treat them nicely but let me know anyway. Remember, my house sigil is this, the symbol of ir'Roole. House Tharask sigil alone won't do. This is my personal responsibility, you understand?"

What are we going to get paid?

"Catillus Matthew surely has gotten everything right in Vraath Keep. I suspect it is not as luxurous place as my estate here in Sharn, but you will be treaded as guests of honor. I'll pay you 5000 gp if you can catch the falseful dragonshard-hunters and return my maps."

Are you sure everything is ok in Vraath Keep?

"Absolutely, why not? I've been sending money to Mr. Matthew on regular basis and while I haven't visited Elsir Vale personally, yet, I'm sure it is a nice place indeed."

The Loyal Hades is an elemental galley sailing under the flag of House Tharask. It took two weeks to get from Sharn to Brindol (Newthrone in Q'Barra map). The ship stopped in major ports on its way. In Zilargo, you saw Trolanport and Korranberg. On the shores of Darguun you met with two different dakhani galleons. Naturally The Mournland and Valenar were avoided. Then you arrived in Q'Barra and took a elemental-powered cab trail from Adder River delta to Brindol.

A Day in Brindol

After goodbyes with House Tharask representatives you had travelled with, you gathered finally with your own peace to a tavern, in this end-of-the-known-world town. Brindol wasn't too bad, though. With heavy fortifications, the castle city was surprisingly lively. Not anything like the shady jungle outpost the Tharask people had been joking about.

Violet Behir was a nice tavern. After long discussions about your current mission and your place in ir'Roole arrangements, you slept well and prepared for finding your way to Vraath Keep. No one knew about the castle, but Nix bought a map where it was marked. Four days to go, by walking west on The Dawn Way, the main road crossing Elsir Vale.

The Countryside

Elsir Vale was indeed beautiful. The jungle had been cut down and laboured as a fertile farmland. Farmhouses were here and there and tiny villages popped out after every second hill. There were four towns on your way, each perfectly positioned for a nights rest. From Brindol, the first to west was Talar, then Nimon Gap, Terrelton and finally Drellin's Ferry.

Couple of hours before Drellin's Ferry it happened. Onni spotted out a glimpse of an armour by the side of the road, just after that abandoned farmhouse. He alarmed the others, but that was too late, the hobgoblin ambushers had already seen you.

A fierce fight broke out. Nix and Dulcimer killed that hell hound lurking in the bush and got a volley of arrows on them by the hobgoblins, who at the same time shouted alarm. More warriors ran out from the farmhouse. Alistar went airbourne, Lestra failed most of her eldrichs.

The hobgobling bladebearer with double shortswords was a formidable opponent, especially with the white-headed hobgoblin cleric buffing him. The battle turned when Nix and Lestra got some serious damage done to the bladebearer. Alistar tried to catch on the cleric, but he managed to cast a spell that made him disappear. Onni flew after two warriors running off and Alistar greased down one.

At the end of the day, you had two hobgoblin warriors as prisoners and you walked down to Drellin's Ferry before dawn.

Developments

• something needs to be done with the prisoners. The plan was to walk to Drellin's Ferry and see the matter there.

NPC's met

• lord Drevan ir'Roole
• Catillus Matthew, mentioned
• Kemaal (didn't say a word)
• Vassilia Kan Santiar, from Korranberg Chronicles
• House Tharask merchants sailing on The Loyal Hades
• people in accomondation or travel business in the towns of Brindol, Talar, Nimon Gap and Trelleton
• a body of a merchant, she was killed some hours ago
• bodies of four guards
• two hobgoblin prisoners
• white-headed hobgoblin priest, escaped

Items of interest

From Brindol

• a map of Elsir Vale

Found from the abandoned farmhouse

• a body of a merchant, Onni took her body to Drellin's Ferry
• bag of holding, containing 355 gp
• four studded leather armours (on the guard's bodies)
• four light crossbows
• four longswords

From hobgoblin party

• six composite longbows
• six masterwork longswords
• six heavy steel shields
• six chainmails
• two masterwork short swords
• masterwork studded leather armour